The Balanced MomCast with Sandy Cooper

Summer is officially behind us and school is back in session. That means early bedtimes and homework. Carpool and sports practice. Routines and structure. If you are suddenly finding your easy-breezy summer schedule hijacked by a ton of stuff you need to do and places you need to be, and more items on your to-do list than you have hours in the day, today's episode is for you. Today I'm giving you 5 simple strategies to get more done in less time. Listen in.    For show notes, please visit thescooponbalance.com/152

This is my 17th Summer Break as a mom with kids on a school schedule. Some summers unfolded swimmingly and some did not. The difference between the summers that went well and the summers that I completely sabotaged rested primarily on decisions I made that ultimately sabotaged my balance. Today I'm giving you  5 ways to Sabatoage your Summer and suggestions for a better way. And be sure to stick around to the end of the show because I announce my summer plans for the podcast! WIN A SIGNED COPY OF MOM, YOU'RE AMAZING! AND OTHER THINGS I WANT TO TELL YOU: Here's how! Option 1: 1. Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts 2. Take a screenshot of your review 3. Email the picture to me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Option 2 (If you have already left a review): 1. Share your favorite episode of The Balanced MomCast with a friend (or 10) any way you choose (social media, text, email, word of mouth) 2. Email me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com and tell me that you did Only a few copies left so hurry! LINKS To-Do List Template (this is the one I actually use!) If you want the links to my Podcast Book Tour, sign up here. Buy Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You  Hey, Mom! What's Your Superpower? Take the quiz and find out! Want to explore your highest priorities and set up a system for living a life consistent with them?  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Here is my other Bible study on hearing God's voice. You should buy it:  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 Have a question or a comment about anything else? I personally reply to every email! thescooponbalance@gmail.com My website: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.  

In March of 2021, I decided to leave social media. And after a year and two months, I'm here to give you an update on how all of that is going as well as  3 simple steps you can take today if you want to reduce the time you spend on social media. Also, in celebration of 150 episodes, I'm giving away 11 signed copies of my new book, Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You so stick around to the end of the show to see how you can be one of the lucky winners! WIN A SIGNED COPY OF MOM, YOU'RE AMAZING! AND OTHER THINGS I WANT TO TELL YOU: Here's how! Option 1: 1. Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts 2. Take a screenshot of your review 3. Email the picture to me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Option 2 (If you have already left a review): 1. Share your favorite episode of The Balanced MomCast with a friend (or 10) any way you choose (social media, text, email, word of mouth) 2. Email me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com and tell me that you did The first 11 emails I receive will win! LINKS EP21-EP25: Series on Technology and Social Media begins here EP85: What I Learned from Taking a Year off Social Media EP97: Why I'm Leaving Social Media Why I'm Leaving Social Media (blog post) Buy Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You  Hey, Mom! What's Your Superpower? Take the quiz and find out! Want to explore your highest priorities and set up a system for living a life consistent with them?  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Here is my other Bible study on hearing God's voice. You should buy it:  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 Have a question or a comment about anything else? I personally reply to every email! thescooponbalance@gmail.com My website: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.  

The death of my first son shattered my expectations of how family and faith should look. That tragedy opened the door to continue building my family through adoption and drove me to rely solely on Jesus to sustain me. Today I discuss how our parenting expectations rarely align with reality, I talk about how to identify unmet expectations, and I offer practical ways to respond when parenting or life has thrown you a curveball. Links:  Buy Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You  Hey, Mom! What's Your Superpower? Take the quiz and find out! Want to explore your highest priorities and set up a system for living a life consistent with them?  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Here is my other Bible study on hearing God's voice. You should buy it:  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 Have a question or a comment about anything else? I personally reply to every email! thescooponbalance@gmail.com My website: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.  

I believe one of the greatest struggles moms face is feelings of inadequacy. That's why my mission is to encourage moms. I love to take the light of God's Word and shine it on the lies of the enemy. I love to show women how to access the peace of God so that they can raise their children with joy and confidence. If you're a mom who feels like she's not enough, I have three things to tell you.  Links:  Buy Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You for Mother's Day! Hey, Mom! What's Your Superpower? Take the quiz and find out! Want to explore your highest priorities and set up a system for living a life consistent with them?  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Here is my other Bible study on hearing God's voice. You should buy it:  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 Have a question or a comment about anything else? I personally reply to every email! thescooponbalance@gmail.com My website: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

This is the final segment of a 4-part conversation about my latest book, Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You. Today Mary K. Tiller and I talk about loneliness in motherhood, the necessity of mom mentors, and what I hope moms will take away from reading this book. Links: Buy Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You for Mother's Day! Hey, Mom! What's Your Superpower? Take the quiz and find out! Want to explore your highest priorities and set up a system for living a life consistent with them?  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Here is my other Bible study on hearing God's voice. You should totes buy it:  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 Have a question or a comment about anything else? I personally reply to every email! thescooponbalance@gmail.com My website: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

This is Part 3 of a 4-part conversation about my latest book, Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You. Today Mary K. Tiller and I tackle the whole concept of setting aside your own dreams to focus on the kids while trusting God with the outcome, and the superpower of humor as both a coping mechanism and a parenting strategy. Links: Buy Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You for Mother's Day! Hey, Mom! What's Your Superpower? Take the quiz and find out! Want to explore your highest priorities and set up a system for living a life consistent with them?  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Here is my other Bible study on hearing God's voice. You should totes buy it:  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 Have a question or a comment about anything else? I personally reply to every email! thescooponbalance@gmail.com My website: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

 Mom, You're Amazing and Other Things I Want to Tell You launched this week and available for purchase. So, my friend Mary K Tiller is here to interview ME. That's right–for the next 4 episodes, I'm the guest on my own podcast. Today I answer a question I haven't been asked in probably 20 years and share a fun story about what I intended this book to be (Fact: this was not originally a book about motherhood!). Here is part 2 of my conversation with Mary K. Listen in: Links: Buy Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You Hey, Mom! What's Your Superpower? Take the quiz and find out! Want to explore your highest priorities and set up a system for living a life consistent with them?  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Have a question or a comment about anything else? I personally reply to every email! thescooponbalance@gmail.com Here is my other Bible study on hearing God's voice. You should totes buy it:  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 My website: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Today is book launch day! Yay! Mom, You're Amazing and Other Things I Want to Tell You is now available for purchase. So, my friend Mary K Tiller is here to interview ME. That's right–for the next 4 episodes, I'm the guest on my own podcast. Today I talk about how Release Day is a mix between crossing a finish line and giving birth, what I wish I could go back and say to young Sandy, and how my experiences in parenting have shaped me and positioned me to speak to you. Listen in.   Links: Buy Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You Hey, Mom! What's Your Superpower? Take the quiz and find out! Want to explore your highest priorities and set up a system for living a life consistent with them?  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Have a question or a comment about anything else? I personally reply to every email! thescooponbalance@gmail.com Here is my other Bible study on hearing God's voice. You should totes buy it:  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 My website: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Today I welcome back to the show my friend Angie Baughman. She's a pastor, an author, and the host of The Steady On Podcast. And she's here to share with you her 5-step framework for talking to your triggers: Those events in life that elicit in us a disproportionately emotional and usually entirely irrational response. If you missed Part 1, I encourage you to listen to that one first, where she shares her story as a trauma and abuse survivor and gives us the first step of her 5-step framework. This is part 2 of our conversation where we pick right up where we left off last time.  LINKS Get the free download: Talk to Your Triggers  For all of Angie's links and freebies.  Angie's Podcast: Stead On  Mom, You're Amazing: And Other Things I Want to Tell You releases April 19th! Click here for more info. Hey, Mom! What's Your Superpower? Take the quiz and find out! Want to explore your highest priorities and set up a system for living a life consistent with them?  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Have a question or a comment about anything else? I personally reply to every email! thescooponbalance@gmail.com Here is my other Bible study. You should totes buy it:  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 My website: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Today we're talking about those events in life that elicit in us a disproportionately emotional and usually entirely irrational response: Triggers! (If you've ever exploded at your children for a minor offense, you've been triggered.)  Today I welcome to the show my friend Angie Baughman. She's a pastor, an author, and the host of The Steady On Podcast. And she's here to share with you her 5-step framework for talking to your triggers. She has an incredible story of healing and restoration and she's overflowing with wisdom and compassion. This is Part 1 of a 2-part conversation where Angie shares her story of surviving a horrific head-on collision and abuse at the hand of a "beloved" high school teacher. She then shares with us the first step of her 5-step process for Talking to Your Triggers. LINKS Get the free download: Talk to Your Triggers  For all of Angie's links and freebies.  Angie's Podcast: Stead On  Mom, You're Amazing: And Other Things I Want to Tell You releases April 19th! Click here for more info. Hey, Mom! What's Your Superpower? Take the quiz and find out! Want to explore your highest priorities and set up a system for living a life consistent with them?  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Have a question or a comment about anything else? I personally reply to every email! thescooponbalance@gmail.com Here is my other Bible study. You should totes buy it:  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 My website: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Two of my favorite questions to ask seasoned moms are “Looking back, what do you wish you would have done differently? And "What do you think you got right?” I thought it would be fun for me to answer those questions for you about my parenting journey. So that's what I'm doing today. Listen in.    LINKS For my whole series on Social Media, check out EP21-24 Hey, Mom! What's Your Superpower? Take the quiz and find out! Learn more about my new book Mom, You're Amazing! Want to explore your highest priorities and set up a system for living a life consistent with them?  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Have a question or a comment about anything else? I personally reply to every email! thescooponbalance@gmail.com Here is my other Bible study. You should totes buy it:  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 My website: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

LAST CALL to join the launch team for Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You. The deadline is March 11, 2022. I'm in a mini-series on raising teens. As I record this, I have a 22-(almost 23-) year-old, a 20-year-old and a 15-year-old. I'm no teen expert, but I have learned a few things about raising teens while raising mine. So, today I'm just having a frank discussion like we are sitting and having a cup of coffee. I'll tell you about some of the challenges and a few surprising things that I've loved. Listen in LINKS: Want to explore your highest priorities and set up a system for living a life consistent with them?  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Have a question or a comment about anything else? I personally reply to every email! thescooponbalance@gmail.com Here is my other Bible study. You should totes buy it:  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 My website: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Today I welcome back to the podcast my friend Sarah Turner for Part 2 of our conversation on raising teens. If you haven't listened to Part 1, go do that first. And You may want to grab a pen and paper and take notes on this one momma because she drops a ton of wisdom here including, what to do when your teen triggers your anger, what you can look forward to in the college years, one thing she wishes she would have done less of, and we tackle the whole issue of technology and screens. Listen in.  LINKS Connect with Sarah Turner on her blog, Clover Lane Or on Instagram! Join the launch team for Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You. If you have a question about the launch team, ask away at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Want to explore your highest priorities and set up a system for living a life consistent with them?  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Have a question or a comment about anything else? I personally reply to every email! thescooponbalance@gmail.com Here is my other Bible study. You should totes buy it:  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Welp, after 3 years of podcasting, I'm finally tackling a subject many of you have asked for: raising teens. Today I've invited my friend Sarah Turner to the podcast. She is a mom of six--three of whom are now in their 20s and two of whom are teens right now. In Part 1 of our conversation, Sarah tells us what she's learned from raising all these teens and one thing she knows for sure that she got right. Listen in. LINKS Connect with Sarah Turner on her blog, Clover Lane Or on Instagram! Join the launch team for Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You. If you have a question about the launch team, ask away at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Want to explore your highest priorities and set up a system for living a life consistent with them?  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Have a question or a comment about anything else? I personally reply to every email! thescooponbalance@gmail.com Here is my other Bible study. You should totes buy it:  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Our habits make our routines and our routines quite literally make our lives. So, what's making your life? Who do you want to be? Are you living a life consistent with that picture of yourself? If you want to be a peaceful woman who walks closely with God, then daily and weekly spiritual practices are vital. Today I give you a glimpse into mine. Listen in.  LINKS EP118 How to Start a Daily Prayer and Bible Routine EP136--I talk about 3 questions to ask yourself to decide what to include in your daily routines. The Bible Recap  The Message Bible Reader's Edition (affiliate link)   Want to explore your highest priorities and set up a system for living a life consistent with them?  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Be the first to hear about the release of my new book, Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You Have a question or a comment? I personally reply to every email! thescooponbalance@gmail.com Here is my other Bible study. You should totes buy it:  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99   My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

For the last couple of weeks, we've been talking about establishing healthy habits and routines. We continue today with the Evening routine, the Morning routine, and the Weekly routine. And specifically, I'm going to give you 3 questions to ask yourself to help you decide what you should include in each of these routines so that you can live a well-balanced life. Also, today I give you a sneak peek into my daily routines.  Woo hoo! Listen in.  LINKS Want to explore your highest priorities and set up a system for living a life consistent with them? Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Be the first to hear about the release of my new book, Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You Have a question or a comment? I personally reply to every email! thescooponbalance@gmail.com Here is my other Bible study. You should totes buy it:  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99   My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Chances are high that one of your goals in 2022 is to eat more healthfully. You went to Costco and loaded your cart with fresh fruit and veggies and all the good intentions. And now you're staring down a drawer full of produce that's ready to go bad. Hold on. Before you throw away your produce and your goals, let me help you. Today I'm giving you 10 tips I use for eating healthy on a budget. LINKS EP107 Help Me Create a Healthy Meal Plan! (My deep dive into meal planning) Quick and Easy Plant-Based Meal Ideas--a free download! Send me an email and let's talk about plant-based eating on a budget! thescooponbalance@gmail.com Grab your BFF and start a new Bible Study this year! Here are two of my favorites! *wink wink* Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 Receive email updates from me! My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Have you ever tried to implement a new habit and do everything everyone tells you to do to succeed, but then realize, “That doesn't work for me”? Well, today is your day. Today I welcome back to the podcast my friend Mary K Tiller for Part 2 of our conversation about establishing habits and routines. Today we are talking about the importance of knowing yourself and what works for you and what doesn't so you can build habits that stick. Listen in. Links Atomic Habits, James Clear Better Than Before, Gretchen Rubin The Lazy Genius Way, Kendra Adachi (affiliate links) Connect with Mary K. Tiller! Instagram: @MaryKathrynTiller and @newmerciesformoms Facebook.com/newmercies   Website: www.MaryKathrynTiller.com Grab your BFF and start a new Bible Study in January! Here are two of my favorites! *wink wink* Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 Receive email updates from me! My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

It's January and that means a fresh start and new goals for the year. According to Forbes, 80% of New Year's Resolutions will be abandoned by February. Why is that? And what can we do so we don't become part of that statistic? Today I welcome back to the podcast my friend Mary K. Tiller. And in Part 1 of our conversation, we share with you our favorite strategies for building healthy habits and routines that stick. Listen in. Top 4 Reasons Resolutions Fail: Unrealistic goals Not keeping track of progress Forgetting resolutions Too many resolutions Strategies that work! Habit stacking/Habit pairing Start small and build as you grow Don't create unnecessary barriers Don't commit to something that requires money until you are sure you will stick with it Reward yourself for reaching milestones Avoid all or nothing thinking Set yourself up for success/make your new habit convenient Create barriers to help stop bad habits Plan for disruptions in your new routine  Keep track of your progress Take advantage of a Clean Slate (you have a clean slate every new day!!) Links Atomic Habits, James Clear Better Than Before, Gretchen Rubin The Lazy Genius Way, Kendra Adachi (affiliate links) Connect with Mary K. Tiller! Instagram: @MaryKathrynTiller and @newmerciesformoms Facebook.com/newmercies   Website: www.MaryKathrynTiller.com Grab your BFF and start a new Bible Study in January! Here are two of my favorites! *wink wink* Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 Receive email updates from me! My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Welcome to 2022! One of my favorite practices at the end of every year is reading through my journal and taking note of what I learned. Doing this helps me know where I am, how far I've come, and what I should do next. So, today, I'm sharing 12 things I learned in 2021. Listen in. Grab your BFF and start a new Bible Study in January! Here are two of my favorites! *wink wink* Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 Receive email updates from me! My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Today I continue my conversation with chef Char Nolan. She addresses some of your most common struggles like “I want to cook more healthfully but I'm already stretched so thin” and  “I took the time to make this meal, now how do I get my family to eat it?” and “My kids are so busy in the evenings it's just easier to grab fast food” and so much more. Lean in to this conversation mamas because you have a wise mentor in your earbuds today. Highlights of this Episode: "On day-10 [of eating a plant-based diet] I didn't have one ache in my body...this food-as-medicine thing must be real" Advice for moms wanting to transition to a healthy lifestyle Shop the perimeter Meatless Monday Get kids involved (they eat what they make) Start gradually Don't remove things from your child's diet that will make them miserable Read labels Make smoothies for your kids and let them pick the ingredients Give kids a say on lunches and snacks Use precut and frozen veggies, as well as the deli counter and rotisserie chickens to save time Make eating dinner as a family a priority Be nice to yourself! Find a good crossover meal (don't start with tofu!) Mix take-out with home-cooked Have an alternative meal if you are introducing something new Organize a meal plan  Consider a meal swap with neighbors Try frozen veggie burgers LINKS: (some of these are affiliate links--I will receive a small commission if you purchase an item through this link at no additional cost to you) My 2021 Holiday Gift Guide for the Home Chef Engine 2 Diet  Engine 2 Diet Cookbook Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell B Esselstyn Rip Esselstyn Tovolo Popsicle Molds Rich Roll Podcast with Chef AJ (the podcast I listened to that made me want to try a plant-based diet) Chickpea Tunaless Salad Recipe Vitamix (Char's favorite kitchen appliance!) (Mine, too!!!) Define My Day 2022 Planner  Connect with Char Nolan on Instagram @char_nolan Order Holiday Meals from Whole Foods Market Rouxbe Culinary School Need a Christmas gift for that woman in your life? How 'bout these? Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 Receive email updates from me! My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

We are one week away from what is arguably the biggest cooking day of the year: Thanksgiving. And I have a treat for you. I've invited my friend Char Nolan to join me today. Char is a wife and a mom, but she is also a professional chef. And she's here to bestow upon us her decades of wisdom, both personally and professionally, in the kitchen and out. If you want less stress and more joy this holiday season, you'll love this episode with my friend Char Nolan. Tips for a Less Stressful Thanksgiving (aka, the family will feel the tension we emit) Ask yourself, how can we make this easier? Delegate side dishes to guests Buy store-bought sides and plate them/garnish them beautifully Assign tasks to kids Shop off-peak time Use grocery pick up Make whatever you can in advance Ask the family what they actually want and only cook that Tips for cooking any time and for life in general: Batch cook: cook for a whole Sunday and eat all week Save money and the environment by only buying whole produce and cut up at home Put that phone down Be as good as you can be to yourself Learn to say no so you don't overcommit LINKS: My 2021 Holiday Gift Guide for the Home Chef Connect with Char Nolan on Instagram @char_nolan Order Holiday Meals from Whole Foods Market Misfit Organics Rouxbe Culinary School Create Your Holiday To-Don't List Printable Worksheets Listen to EP128 for the explanation of the Holiday To-Don't List Need a Christmas gift for that woman in your life? How 'bout these? Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 To hear other holiday episodes from 2019: EP28 "How to Spend Less at Christmas" EP29 "Setting Boundaries Around Your Time and Relationships." To learn more about me, visit my About Me page Receive email updates from me! My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Well, it's November, and the holiday season is officially descending upon us. If you're like me, your feelings about this are a mixed bag of “Awww...I love Christmas” and “Oh my gosh, I have so much to do!” If you are already struggling with balancing your day-to-day life, adding all the decorating, shopping, cooking, and partying can push you over the edge. Have no fear. I'm here to help. Today I'm giving you 7 Things you can do this week to help you avoid holiday overwhelm. Create your holiday to-don't list. Knock something off your to-do list.  Declutter something. Write out your shopping lists and set your Christmas budget. Plan out your Thanksgiving menu and make out your grocery list Update your calendar with all the holiday happenings. Take extra good care of yourself.  LINKS Create Your Holiday To-Don't List Printable Worksheets Listen to EP128 for the explanation of the Holiday To-Don't List Need a Christmas gift for that woman in your life? How 'bout these? Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 To hear other holiday episodes from 2019: EP28 "How to Spend Less at Christmas" EP29 "Setting Boundaries Around Your Time and Relationships." To learn more about me, visit my About Me page Receive email updates from me! My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

If you struggle with balance on a regular day, the holiday season with all its obligations and expectations can send you into complete and utter chaos. What is aggressively marketed as the most wonderful time of the year, feels more like stress, and debt and five pounds of fat around your midsection. We can change that. This is a replay of an episode that aired exactly 2 years ago in November of 2019, where I'm helping you sort through your holiday obligations so you can get something off your plate. Today I'm helping you create your holiday to-don't list. LINKS Create Your Holiday To-Don't List Printable Worksheets To hear the follow-up holiday episodes in this 2019 series, go to EP28 "How to Spend Less at Christmas" EP29 "Setting Boundaries Around Your Time and Relationships." This entire season I'm discussing your questions and suggestions from the podcast listener survey. If you have a question or suggestion, send it to me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com. I'll try to work it into the show.  To learn more about me, visit my About Me page Receive email updates from me! Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Today's question is a mash-up of multiple comments: "My biggest balance struggle is finding me-time. I have no time for my own interests, like reading or exercising or spending time with friends. I cannot keep up with my hobbies--hobbies I need to keep me sane--because keeping up with my kids and my house takes up all my time. I don't even know who am right now. How do I figure out who I am outside of being a mom when my whole life has been all about my kids? How do I find my purpose in life when motherhood is all-encompassing?"  Take-aways: 1. Me time is not a luxury or self-indulgent. 2. Christian moms are called to a life of self-sacrifice--but in doing so, we find real life. 3. Physical exercise and time with the Lord are not hobbies but essential daily practices. 4. You should absolutely pursue a passion beyond motherhood--but not the way the world tells you to pursue a passion, purpose, or identity.   LINKS: For more on priorities and pendulums and seasons that seem off-balance check out Finding Your Balance, available on Amazon for $14.99 For creative ways to work physical activity into your day with small children, check out EP122.  For One Thing I Wish I Would Have Known as a New Mom, listen to EP82 Please take a minute to rate and review this show!  This entire season I'm discussing your questions and suggestions from the podcast listener survey. If you have a question or suggestion, send it to me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com. I'll try to work it into the show.  To learn more about me, visit my About Me page Receive email updates from me! Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

In all of Season 8, I'm addressing your specific questions and balance struggles. Today, I'm responding to two listener emails: One asks about loneliness and finding community with a baby at home. The other asks about how to make quality time for her husband while raising 4 small children. I have lots to say about both of those things, so if you struggle with any of that in your own life, you'll love today's episode. Listen in. Please take a minute to rate and review this show!  LINKS: If you want to hear more about connecting with other moms during the baby/toddler/preschool years, check out EP119 and EP120 with Mary K. Tiller The blog post I read on today's episode. This entire season I'm discussing your questions and suggestions from the podcast listener survey. If you have a question or suggestion, send it to me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com. I'll try to work it into the show.  To learn more about me, visit my About Me page Receive email updates from me! Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Caring for your physical health is one of the best things you can do to lead a well-balanced life. But what is going on when you decide to start cooking healthier meals or begin a workout program and by day-3 you are sitting on the couch eating peanut butter straight out of the jar? Maybe the problem is self-sabotage. Sometimes our sincere efforts completely backfire on us. Today I'm offering you 5 things that undermine your best efforts to live a healthy life and what you can do differently instead. Listen in.  Also, I address a listener's concern about me assigning "moral value" to food. Thing 1:  Depriving yourself of food or food you love Thing 2:  Allowing yourself to be intimidated rather than inspired by other women  Thing 3: Believing Bad Information Thing 4: Believing Exercise is Torture Thing 5: Setting setting the wrong kind of goals...specifically, a weight loss goal. Please take a minute to rate and review this show!  LINKS: If you want to build a home gym but don't know where to start, check out my post The Essentials of a Home Gym This entire season I'm discussing your questions and suggestions from the podcast listener survey. If you have a question or suggestion, send it to me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com. I'll try to work it into the show.  To learn more about me, visit my About Me page Receive email updates from me! Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.  

Today my friend Kirsten Vossler joins me for Part 2 of our discussion. She's a homeschooling mom of 8 and the creator and host of the podcast Rejoicing in Motherhood. Last week we left a tired Kirsten after she described her typical day right at the point of getting her kids to bed. Today, she drops her pearls of wisdom as she describes how she makes room for her priorities--Spoiler alert: she lets a lot of things go. By the end of this discussion, you will feel completely free to be the mom God has called you to be.  LINKS: Be sure to listen to Part 1 of our conversation (EP123) Not Your Mother's Dry Shampoo Aveda Shampure Dry Shampoo Kirsten's Podcast: Rejoicing in Motherhood Follow Kirsten on Instagram Check out her website at Kirstenvossler.com This entire season I'm discussing your questions and suggestions from the podcast listener survey. If you have a question or suggestion, send it to me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com. I'll try to work it into the show.  Receive email updates from me! Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.  

Kirsten Vossler is a homeschooling mom of 8 kids ranging in age from 12 years down to 9 months, and the creator and host of the podcast Rejoicing in Motherhood. I asked Kirsten to give us the nitty-gritty of her typical day. In the process of that, she dropped some seriously great tips on everything from healthy breakfast and lunch ideas to creative ways she teaches her kids about the Lord. Whether you're a homeschooling mom or you just enjoy getting a peek behind the curtain of the large family, you will love this interview with my friend Kirsten. Listen in. LINKS Kirsten's Podcast: Rejoicing in Motherhood Follow Kirsten on Instagram Check out her website at Kirstenvossler.com This entire season I'm discussing your questions and suggestions from the podcast listener survey. If you have a question or suggestion, send it to me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com. I'll try to work it into the show.  Receive email updates from me! Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.    

One of my favorite exercise mantras is “something is better than nothing.” I adopted this phrase as my fitness motivation when I was trying and succeeding to stay physically fit and strong with babies and small children crawling all over me. As a mom with little ones, some days I was able to carve out a full hour of a hardcore work out and other days I just did what I could and moved on. So, fully understanding the challenges associated with trying to exercise while also having small children, I'm giving you 8 things that worked for me. Listen in. 1. Take walks. 2. Go to the gym before everyone wakes up or when someone else can watch the kids. 3. Use home video/streaming workouts. 4. Use home gym equipment. 5. Use the gym childcare. 6. Play them with outside. 7. Dance with your kids. 8. Use nap time (this is the last resort!) LINKS: If you want to build a home gym but don't know where to start, check out my post The Essentials of a Home Gym This entire season I'm discussing your questions and suggestions from the podcast listener survey. If you have a question or suggestion, send it to me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com. I'll try to work it into the show.  To learn more about me, visit my About Me page Receive email updates from me! Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.  

What do you do when a child accuses you of letting his younger sibling get away with everything? How do you decide what to cook for dinner each night and actually cook it when you hate meal planning and cooking? What do you do when no one in your house will help you with household chores? These are YOUR questions and today I'm giving you MY answers.  LINKS: For a more detailed discussion on Meal Planning, listen to EP107 For a more detailed discussion on establishing cleaning and laundry routines, listen to EP106 This entire season I'm discussing your questions and suggestions from the podcast listener survey. If you have a question or suggestion, send it to me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com. I'll try to work it into the show.  To learn more about me, visit my About Me page Receive email updates from me! Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.  

Last week in EP119 I invited my friend Mary K Tiller to join me, and I played the first half of our conversation. Today in Part 2 we confess we are not "Fun Moms" and we discuss the creative ways we've learned to connect with our kids despite this shortcoming. We also talk about loneliness in motherhood and what we do to combat it. Mary K offers some beautiful words of encouragement for all the overwhelmed moms out there, so be sure to listen to the end for that.  This entire season I'm discussing your questions and suggestions from the podcast listener survey. If you have a question or suggestion, send it to me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com. I'll try to work it into the show.  LINKS: Connect with Mary K. Tiller!!! Instagram: @MaryKathrynTiller and @newmerciesformoms Facebook.com/newmercies   Website: www.MaryKathrynTiller.com   Receive email updates from me! Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Today, for the first time ever on the Balance MomCast, I am inviting a friend to join me. This episode is for all the work-from-home moms. We chat about the perks and challenges of working from home, especially with small children in the mix. We discuss making difficult choices about how to divide our time between work and kids, what we prayerfully neglect for the sake of balance, and how we lean on God to give us wisdom. I think you are gonna love my friend as much as I do. So, Listen in to Part One of my conversation with the delightful and lovely Mary Kathryn Tiller. This entire season I am discussing your questions and suggestions from the podcast listener survey. If you have a question or suggestion, send it to me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com. I'll try to work it into the show.  LINKS: Connect with Mary K. Tiller!!! Instagram: @MaryKathrynTiller and @newmerciesformoms Facebook.com/newmercies   Website: www.MaryKathrynTiller.com   Receive email updates from me! Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.    

Today I'm addressing one listener's struggle about establishing a Bible reading and prayer life. If you have never established a daily time to connect with God and the thought of starting one feels overwhelming, or if you just want to be more consistent with the practice you already have, I offer encouragement and practical tips for this mom and for you. Listen in.  This entire season I'm discussing your questions and suggestions from the podcast listener survey. If you have a question or suggestion, send it to me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com. I'll try to work it into the show.  LINKS Receive email updates from me! Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 To download my free Bible Reading Guide, click here. Atomic Habits, by James Clear (affiliate link) Forbes article about screen time. Rescue Time study about average daily phone use. EP37 Focus on Systems Not Outcomes My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.  

Mom, you are NOT the emotional thermostat of your home. You cannot control the moods and attitudes of your children or your spouse. But you CAN create an environment where peace thrives. Today we look at the book of Proverbs and discuss four practical things you can do to facilitate a peaceful home environment: 1. Be Patient: Prov 16:32 2. Be Proactive: Prov 17:14 3. Be Gentle: Prov 15:1 4. Light up Your Face: Prov 16:15 This entire season I'm discussing your questions and suggestions from the podcast listener survey. If you have a question or suggestion, send it to me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com. I'll try to work it into the show.  LINKS Receive email updates from me! Email me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.      

My kids are just like your kids. If I give them the choice between cookies and fruit for dessert, they will choose the cookies. That's why I am deliberate and strategic to train them to choose healthy food when faced with a choice. Today, as part of my Summer Series Replay, I'm replaying an episode that originally aired in May 2019, where I offered 22 strategies I use in my own home to teach my kids to love healthy food. Mix and match as you see fit.   Do it yourself: The best way to teach your kids how to choose healthy food is to live by example. Don't keep junk in the house, including soda—if you don't buy it, it won't be there to eat. Period. If your child asks for a snack, tell them they need to eat a fruit or veggie first. If it's close to dinner, serve the fruit or veggie portion of the dinner as the snack. Make dessert something special—not something you do nightly. Take them out for ice cream after their baseball game. Bake cookies on Saturday. Go out for a shake when grade cards come out. Let them choose between soda or dessert at a restaurant, but not both. Pack school lunches most days. When offering new healthy food, tell them “You don't need to taste it, just let it sit on your plate.”   Offer money to taste a new food. Yep. I have paid my kids a quarter or a dollar to taste something and I'm not ashamed. Serve a variety of fruits and vegetables at every meal and make them pick two. Buy the healthy food they like. Never say no to seconds on veggies. Don't push meat and dairy. Teach your kids to read labels.   Teach them to be wise about advertising. Serve smoothies.  Let them order off the adult menu.  Don't let them order the fries as their side—make them get a fruit or veggie instead. Make it your goal in life to get your kid to love salad. Serve water with every meal.   Reserve special junk food for birthdays, vacations, and holidays. Make your home a healthy food zone.   Connect the dots for them for how healthy food and junk affects how they feel.     Receive email updates from me! Power of a Praying Parent, by Stormie Omartian (affiliate link) Email me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.  

Depression affects 300 million people worldwide, and I am one of them. The good news is, depression is entirely treatable and almost always, preventable. If you have mild depression and anxiety and want to explore some options outside of prescription medication, I'm giving you the exact things I do on a daily basis that keep depression and anxiety at bay. This is part of my Summer Series Replay and originally aired September 2019 as part of a 6-part series on depression and anxiety. (EP15-EP20) EP 16: This is where I tell my story of depression   Depression DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria The DSM-5 outlines the following criterion to make a diagnosis of depression. The individual must be experiencing five or more symptoms during the same 2-week period and at least one of the symptoms should be either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure. 1. Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day. 2. Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day. 3. Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day. 4. A slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movement (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down). 5. Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day. 6. Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day. 7. Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day. 8. Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.   Lost Connections: Why You're Depressed and How to Find Hope, by Johann Hari (affiliate link) To read the list of things I do in blog post form, you can find a post I wrote on this a few years ago here.  Here is the blog post where I tell you all about Passion Flower and Valerian Root. You can get them on Amazon too (affiliate links): Passion Flower Valerian Root Receive email updates from me! Email me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.  

If you're a mom drowning in your responsibilities, I'm here to throw you a lifeline. As part of my Summer Series Replay, I'm going back to August 2019 (EP15) where I offered 7 things that will give you immediate relief from the pressure of "too much."  1. Do a brain dump 2. Cancel/quit something 3. Clean your kitchen 4. 10 minutes/10 things 5. Power Hour 6. Silence your phone 7. Schedule downtime   To get to the root of your overwhelm, get Finding Your Balance, an 11-Lesson Bible Study. After you "brain dump" you'll want to sort out all that stuff. Learn all about my list-keeping system in EP5: My #1 Tool For Helping Me Live Out My Priorities email me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Receive email updates from me! Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.  

Jesus said 8 times (!) in John 15 that He wants us to bear fruit. But what does that even mean? In EP112 we said that abiding is all the stuff that no one sees. Well, fruit is the stuff EVERYONE sees (and feels, and tastes, and smells) coming from you. Welcome to my Summer Replay Series! I'm rerunning a series that first aired in Feb-March 2020 on Abiding in Christ (John 15). This replay series begins with EP108 and this is Part 6--the final episode in the Abide series. Be sure to go back and listen from the beginning.  The main point: Real fruit is the natural and inevitable outgrowth of a branch that is abiding in the Vine and is regularly and properly pruned by The Vinedresser. Fake Fruit: 1. Financial or Worldly Success 2. Flashy Ministry, Big Following, Popularity 3. Religiously following all the laws and rules of your Christian denomination 4. Perpetual self-improvement *We should not become professional fruit inspectors except: when we feed on other people's spiritual fruit or PUT OUR CHILDREN UNDER THE CARE OF SOMEONE. Then get all up in that fruit and fully inspect it! Real Fruit: 1. Leading people to Christ 2. Love 3. Good Works 4. Virtues of Character 5. Hearing God's voice 6. Answered prayer Don't focus on the fruit. Focus on ABIDING in Christ. Keep that connection intact and free-flowing. Submit to the pruning. The fruit WILL come. Scriptures I reference in this episode: Matthew 23:27-28 Matthew 12:33 John 15:1-17 John 13:34-35 Ephesians 2:10 James2:14-16 Colossians 1:9-12 Galatians 5:22-23 Ephesians 5:8-11 Philippians 1:9-11 Jeremiah 17:7-8 I John:3-10 II Thes 1:3 LINKS I bought my "abide" bracelet here.  Receive email updates from me! Email me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.  

Welcome to a very frank yet loving discussion about what it really means to abide in Christ. At the risk of sounding completely over the top, studying, understanding, and then applying these truths has impacted every single area of my life. My heart is to encourage and equip you to live a fruitful life. So, if you're ready for some tough love on how to become a branch in Christ that bears much fruit, then listen in. This is Part 5 of our series called Abide--a series originally airing in March 2020, just before the world shut down. To listen from the beginning, go back to EP108 (or EP61 when it originally aired in March 2020). Jesus uses the word "abide" 10 times in our passage to describe the kind of relationship He wants to have with you. Focus your attention on the connection between you (the branch) and the Vine. Three things that the word "abide" implies: 1. Abiding takes time. 2. Abiding involves a quality relationship.  3. Abiding is invisible to the world.  How to abide in Christ in real life (how to enlarge the connection between you and Jesus): 1. Spiritual disciplines: prayer, fasting, Bible reading, Bible study, meditating on Scripture, solitude, worship, confession of sin, and rest. Make time with God your top priority, every single day, for private extended prayer and Bible study time. Stop making excuses. It's not too hard.  2. Control your thoughts. Take them captive to make them obedient to Christ. 3. Examine your motives until your reason for everything is to love God, love people, advance God's kingdom and God's purposes, and be obedient to Him. 4. Trust God when things don't go as planned. 5. Love others. Abiding in Christ and loving others are inseparable. 6. Obey God. Abide = Home Scriptures I reference in this episode: John 15:1-17 NASB and MSG 2 Corinthians 10:5 I John 4:16 I John 5:2-3 John 8:31 2 John 9 James 1:25 I John 3:24 John 14:23 Pruning is God's part. Abiding is our part. Fruit is the result of an abiding branch that is regularly and properly pruned. LINKS I bought my "abide" bracelet here.  Receive email updates from me! Email me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

What does it mean when Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do nothing"? Who are these people? Are they really doing nothing? Am I one of these people? Are you one of these people?  Welcome to my Summer Replay Series! I'm rerunning a series that first aired in Feb-March 2020 on Abiding in Christ (John 15). This replay series begins with EP108 and this is Part 4. Be sure to go back and listen from the beginning.  Scriptures we Read in This Episode: John 15:1-17 Matthew 15:1-20 Matthew 7:15-27 I Corinthians 13:1-3 Truths about abiding in Christ: God wants your heart God wants you to obey his word God wants you to love God wants you to focus on abiding, not on bearing fruit What abiding in Christ is NOT: doing more stuff trying harder void of activity or effort Apart from Christ, you can do nothing of eternal value Apart from Christ means your heart does not belong to Jesus, though you say all the right things you hear the word of God but don't obey it you do the right things, but you do it without love for God or others LINKS I bought my "abide" bracelet here.  Receive email updates from me! Email me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Motherhood often feels like loss: Loss of your schedule, loss of control, loss of yourself. This can be very confusing because, as a Christian, you KNOW God has called you to live an abundant life! So, what's up with this? Are you doing something wrong? Or are you doing something right? (spoiler: you're doing something right!) Welcome to my Summer Replay Series! I'm rerunning a series that first aired in Feb-March 2020 on Abiding in Christ (John 15). In EP108 I introduced you to the series and in EP109 I introduced you to the Cast of Characters and the 5 Branches--specifically the branch in Christ that does not bear fruit. Today we are talking about pruning. If you are experiencing loss or pain in life, this may be why. Listen in.  Today, we continue our Abide series based on John 15:1-17 The main points we cover: 1. Outside of harvesting itself, pruning is the single most important task for ensuring a plentiful harvest 2. The Vinedresser prunes back aggressive growth pinching topping thinning  dead and dying leaves and branches suckers and shoots from the True Vine 3. Pruning is individual and personal LINKS 6 Strategies for Staying Calm When Your Child is Freaking Out I bought my "abide" bracelet here.  Receive email updates from me! Email me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

Welcome to my Summer Replay Series! I'm rerunning a series that first aired in Feb-March 2020 on Abiding in Christ (John 15). In EP108 I introduced you to the series If you haven't listened to that episode yet, do that first! Today I will introduce you to the Cast of Characters and the 5 Branches, but we will discuss in detail the branch in Christ that does not bear fruit. What is it? How does it get that way? What happens to it? John 15:1-6 Cast of Characters: 1. Jesus is the Vine 2 The Father is the Vinedresser/Gardener 3. We are the Branches Branch in Christ that does not bear fruit Branch in Christ that bears fruit Branch in Christ that bears more fruit Branch in Christ that bears much fruit Branch not in Christ What does the Vinedresser do to the branch in Christ that does not bear fruit? He picks it up, cleans it off, and ties it up on a trellis or a fence for air circulation for exposure to sun for full access    Why does a branch not produce fruit? Not connected to the Vine--we will talk about this one in a later episode Young branch--The Father just lets you grow (The parable in Luke 13:5-9) Disease or mites--The Father will try to remove the disease (sin) from you through discipline. See Deut 8:5, Hebrews 12, Rom 8:28  Improper pruning--we will talk about this one in EP63 NOT ALL PAIN IS DISCIPLINE! Sometimes pain and suffering is because of someone else's sin! Abuse is NEVER discipline.  LINKS 6 Strategies for Staying Calm When Your Child is Freaking Out I bought my "abide" bracelet here.  Receive email updates from me! Email me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? is available on Amazon for $19.99  Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.

It's summer! And I'm stepping away from the podcast for a few weeks to rest and enjoy my family. But while I'm gone, I'm replaying some of my favorite episodes that you may have missed or you may want to hear again. This is the first episode of the series I did on Abiding in Christ based on John 15. This series originally aired in February and March of 2020, literally right before the global pandemic hit and our world went on lockdown. This message changed my life completely. It's probably the most important series I've ever taught.  In 2017, in the midst of the most exhausting season of parenting, God led me to a portion of scripture that changed the way I think, the way I act, the way I pray, and the way I parent. In fact, I cannot think of a single area of my life that has not been transformed by this message. Today, I'm introducing a series that has the potential to transform you as well. Five Reasons You Need This Series 1. So that in times of doubt, you will believe that Jesus is the Christ (John 20:31) 2. So that in times of death, you will have life. (John 20:31) 3. So that in times of trouble, you will have peace. (John 16:33) 4. So that in times of persecution, you will not fall away (John 16:1) 5. So that in times of sadness, discouragement, or disillusionment, you will have joy. (John 15:11) LINKS I bought my "abide" bracelet here.  Receive email updates from me! Email me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? on Amazon for $19.99 Finding Your Balance is available on Amazon for $14.99 My blog: thescooponbalance.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer active on social media.   

Your family eats every day, several times a day, whether you like it or not. Today I share my philosophy on cooking and a simple 4-step process for easy meal-planning. This is the last episode in our series on organization. Listen in.  The benefits of meal-planning: You will serve more nutritious meals--because when you're cooking on the fly you are much more prone to just grab drive-through food or eat something processed. You will save money--shopping off a meal plan, especially if you are mindful to incorporate food on sale and produce in season, is always less expensive than running into the store at 4 pm and grabbing stuff quickly off the end caps of the grocery store aisle. And definitely cheaper than ordering last-minute take-out.  You will save time--a little planning on the front end means better use of your time overall.   You will waste less food--when you effectively meal plan you will only buy produce you need and you can proactively incorporate leftovers into meals throughout the week.  Step 1: Look at your whole week and figure out what you have going on each evening. Step 2: Write out seven dinners at the top of the grocery list Step 3: Create a grocery list directly from that list of meals Step 4: Assign each day a meal, but wait until the night before. More Tips: 1. Plan dinners only. 2. Eat the same things for breakfast and lunch until you get sick of it. 3. Serve a salad every night as your side 4. Cook enough for 2-3 days and serve it different ways. 5. Plan for "easy nights" 6. Have a regular "clean out the fridge" night. 7. Use that crockpot! LINKS For a list of plant-based meal ideas, click here For great crockpot recipes, check out my friend Stephanie's blog! Looking for a simple vinaigrette for your nightly salad? Here's mine Part of this episode was taken from a blog post I wrote back in 2012. If you'd like to read that, it's here.   Links from previous episodes in this series: (Some of these are affiliate links. This means that if you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.) Divided Laundry Hamper Single Laundry Hamper Mrs. Meyers Cleaning Products Method Cleaning Products Colorful Storage Bins for Kids' Rooms Storage Bins for Kids' Paper and Projects Underbed Storage 3-Hole Punch I love these paper trays! Deco Brothers 3-Tier Expandable Cabinet Shelves These Chalkboard Sticker Labels are so cute! Simple Affordable Folding Step Stool Set of 60 White Plastic Hangers (my favorite kind) Pack of Six Pretty Polkadot 3 Ring Binders Pack of 4 Pretty Solid-Colored 3 Ring Binders *** Kathy Lipp's Clutter-Free Academy Becoming Minimalist Website 40 Bags in 40 Day Decluttering Challenge The More of Less, by Joshua Becker  The Minimalist Home, by Joshua Becker Clutter-Free with Kids, by Joshua Becker Cozy Minimalist Home, by Myquillyn Smith If you have tried any of these tips, tell me about it! Shoot me an email at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? (my latest book) Finding Your Balance (my first book) Want to lead a group through either of these Bible studies? Don't forget to grab the Free Supplemental Leader Guide! To stay in the loop about everything, be sure to be on my email list.  Follow me on Pinterest  

We are in a mini series about organization. So far we've talked about organizing our time, decluttering our unwanted items, and organizing our things in a way that makes sense to us and is also easy to maintain. Today, we are zeroing in on creating simple and sustainable systems to keep our homes running smoothly. Think laundry and housekeeping.  Treat your work at home with the same diligence, respect, and structure as you do your work outside the home.  Laundry Laundry Day: Do all your laundry in one day--washed, dried, and put away. The keys to success: Choose a day you are home all day, listen for the timer so you keep things moving along, buy enough socks and underwear to last a whole week.  Laundry Days: Wash and dry on one day. Fold and put away on the next day. Divorce yourself from laundry for the rest of the week. Laundry Life: Do a little laundry every day. Teach kids to help. Take dress clothes to the cleaners. House Cleaning  There is NO SHAME in hiring someone to help you clean!  A clean house is NOT A SIGN OF A WASTED LIFE! 1. Touch every room for 10 minutes a day. 2. Clean by category. 3. Have one cleaning day. 4. Create a chart/spreadsheet for a cleaning schedule. Tips: Decide upfront what areas you will focus on and what areas you can let go of.  Decide how clean you need your house to be and what makes sense based on your time and the ages and number of kids.  Make your job as pleasant as possible by getting cleaning products that smell good and cleaning equipment that works well. Make your job as effortless as possible by stocking every bathroom with cleaning supplies. Take advantage of bathtime and the fact that you are already on your knees and do a quick nightly wipe down of the kids' bathroom. Do a nightly tidying up session with your kids. Pair your cleaning time with something else you really enjoy and/or find valuable, like music, podcasts, or prayer.   LINKS (Some of these are affiliate links. This means that if you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.) Divided Laundry Hamper Single Laundry Hamper Mrs. Meyers Cleaning Products Method Cleaning Products The rest of these I mention in other episodes in this series: Colorful Storage Bins for Kids' Rooms Storage Bins for Kids' Paper and Projects Underbed Storage 3-Hole Punch I love these paper trays! Deco Brothers 3-Tier Expandable Cabinet Shelves These Chalkboard Sticker Labels are so cute! Simple Affordable Folding Step Stool Set of 60 White Plastic Hangers (my favorite kind) Pack of Six Pretty Polkadot 3 Ring Binders Pack of 4 Pretty Solid-Colored 3 Ring Binders *** Kathy Lipp's Clutter-Free Academy Becoming Minimalist Website 40 Bags in 40 Day Decluttering Challenge The More of Less, by Joshua Becker  The Minimalist Home, by Joshua Becker Clutter-Free with Kids, by Joshua Becker Cozy Minimalist Home, by Myquillyn Smith If you have tried any of these tips, tell me about it! Shoot me an email at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? (my latest book) Finding Your Balance (my first book) Want to lead a group through either of these Bible studies? Don't forget to grab the Free Supplemental Leader Guide! To stay in the loop about everything, be sure to be on my email list.  Follow me on Pinterest  

We are in a mini-series about organization. Last week I talked about the necessary act of decluttering. Today I'll give you some tips about how to organize your things in your home. Listen in. As you organize, here are your goals: Goal 1: Can I find and access what I need when I need it?  Goal 2: Can I easily maintain this system?  The areas we are going to talk about today are  Toys: Focus your organization efforts on your kids' favorite things. Use simple timeless things like mason jars, neutral bookshelves, small storage bins, sticker labels, and sharpies so they can find what they want and also easily clean up by themselves.     Kitchen: store your items in the way that you use them and that makes the most sense to you. And keep a folding step stool somewhere near your kitchen if you have high shelves or you're short, like me. Closets: Group your clothes in your closet by category and color and get matching hangers if you can. Don't overstuff your drawers and store your workout clothes in complete outfits like you're in preschool.  Books: Only keep books you love, will re-read, or will reference again. Think of books as home decor. Arrange them on your shelves by color and use them in small stacks in vignettes. Paper: Keep as little paper as possible. Use binders or hanging file folders for paper you need to keep. Use tabbed file folders as a temporary holding place for paper you need to process.  Keepsakes: If you have room for it, then don't stress about it. Keep it.  LINKS: (contains affiliate links...which means if you click on the link and buy something, I receive a small commission for sending you there at no additional cost to you.)  Colorful Storage Bins for Kids' Rooms Storage Bins for Kids' Paper and Projects Underbed Storage 3-Hole Punch I love these paper trays! Deco Brothers 3-Tier Expandable Cabinet Shelves These Chalkboard Sticker Labels are so cute! Simple Affordable Folding Step Stool Set of 60 White Plastic Hangers (my favorite kind) Pack of Six Pretty Polkadot 3 Ring Binders Pack of 4 Pretty Solid-Colored 3 Ring Binders   Kathy Lipp's Clutter-Free Academy Becoming Minimalist Website 40 Bags in 40 Day Decluttering Challenge The More of Less, by Joshua Becker  The Minimalist Home, by Joshua Becker Clutter-Free with Kids, by Joshua Becker Cozy Minimalist Home, by Myquillyn Smith (the books are all Amazon affiliate links) If you have tried any of these tips, tell me about it! Shoot me an email at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? (my latest book) Finding Your Balance (my first book) Want to lead a group through either of these Bible studies? Don't forget to grab the Free Supplemental Leader Guide! To stay in the loop about everything, be sure to be on my email list.  Follow me on Pinterest    

The first rule of home organization: Do not organize your clutter! Before you can organize your home, you need to purge it of things you don't love, don't use, and don't have space to store. In this episode, I take you through a simple decluttering process and give you 10 questions to ask yourself as you're sorting to decide what to keep. 10 Questions: Do I love this? Do I use this? Do I have room for this? Do I really need multiple versions of this? Do I feel beautiful in this? Is it comfortable? Do I want to keep cleaning this/maintaining this/storing this? Am I keeping this out of sheer obligation? If I didn't have this now, would I buy it? Is it available online?   LINKS 21 Surprising Statistics About How Much Suff We Actually Own, by Joshua Becker  Kathy Lipp's Clutter-Free Academy Becoming Minimalist Website 40 Bags in 40 Day Decluttering Challenge The More of Less, by Joshua Becker  The Minimalist Home, by Joshua Becker Clutter-Free with Kids, by Joshua Becker Cozy Minimalist Home, by Myquillyn Smith (the books are all Amazon affiliate links) If you have a specific organization question for me, shoot me an email at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? (my latest book) Finding Your Balance (my first book) Want to lead a group through either of these Bible studies? Don't forget to grab the Free Supplemental Leader Guide! To stay in the loop about everything, be sure to be on my email list.  Follow me on Pinterest

If one thing can make us feel immediately frazzled, it's chaos. Whether it be chaos on our calendar or chaos in our closets, chaos makes us feel completely out of control. One of the best ways to address the chaos in our lives is with some good old-fashioned organization. Simply knowing how the pieces of our lives fit together gives us clarity and focus. So, today, I'm jumping in to discuss one of your biggest cries for help: “Sandy, Help me get organized!”   My Best Tools for Time Management: 1. Keep an updated calendar. 2. Keep a monthly mind-dump master to-do list. 3. Keep a daily to-do list.  4. Establish routines for your top priorities. Step One: determine what to let go of and what you want to prioritize. Step Two: pair one task (the most important one!) next to waking, going to bed, or eating. Step Three: Add your next highest priority to your schedule by pairing it to that new routine or to waking, going to bed, or eating. Repeat Repeat Repeat Final Tips: 1. Match your work with the part of the day that fits it best.  2. Keep a current grocery list. 3. Say no to most things.  4. Get a good night's sleep.  5. Take a weekly sabbath. 6. Keep your systems as SIMPLE as possible!!!! LINKS The 3-ring binder I use (affiliate link) The pretty tabs I use (affiliate link) My template for my daily To-Day List Better Than Before, by Gretchen Rubin (affiliate link) Atomic Habits, by James Clear (affiliate link) For more on To-Do Lists, listen to EP4 For more on Routines, listen to EP7 For more on Sabbath, listen to EP96 Have a question about how to stay organized? Email me and I will either answer your question privately or address it on the podcast! thescooponbalance@gmail.com Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? (my latest book) Finding Your Balance (my first book) Want to lead a group through either of these Bible studies? Don't forget to grab the Free Supplemental Leader Guide! To stay in the loop about everything, be sure to be on my email list.  Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer on Social Media.  

In Scripture, life is depicted as a race. We are told to throw off everything that hinders our running. But how do you know if something you are carrying is hindering or helping? After all, what hinders me may be helping you. What helped you in the past may be weighing you down now. It can be tricky to decide what to set down. Today I'm offering five questions we can ask ourselves to help us determine if something we are carrying is a weight that hinders or helps.  5 Questions as You Consider a Weight: 1. Does it keep me safe? 2. Does it fuel or replenish me? 3. Does it help me map out my course or keep me on track? 4. Does it make my race more comfortable? 5. How is it affecting my overall health and performance? LINKS: PLEASE TAKE THE SURVEY!!! AND BE ENTERED TO WIN A $100 AMAZON GIFT CARD!  Is the Voice in My Head God or Just Me? (my latest book) Finding Your Balance (my first book) Want to lead a group through either of these Bible studies? Don't forget to grab the Free Supplemental Leader Guide! To stay in the loop about everything, be sure to be on my email list.  Have a question or comment? email me at thescooponbalance@gmail.com Follow me on Pinterest I am no longer on Social Media.